The Perks of Being a Martyr
by janeofthejungle
Summary: Set during the epilogue. When Charlie was in the hospital, not much was said about how his friends were coping with his situation.. This should shed a tad of light on the subject. One-shot. Mentions of abuse.


This is a short story about the Wallflower's reactions when they discovered why Charlie was always so distant and why he was put in the hospital. Occurs during the epilogue.

* * *

Patrick was lazy.

Today especially.

Right now, he was recuperating from a recent party nearby the University of Washington's campus.

The party was one that was different from all of the past ones he had been to. This time Sam and the rest of their friends weren't with him to talk about random things with.

Sam was away at her own school, getting ready for the upcoming school year, Mary Elizabeth was spending time with her serious boyfriend Peter, Alice was settling down in New York, Bob was back home, probably high off his ass and Charlie...What was Charlie doing?

Come to think of it, he hadn't heard a peep from Charlie all summer.

That's unusual, usually he phones every weekend.

The poor guy doesn't make friends very easily and normally checks in just so he could hear about us since we are basically the only friends he has.

Making a mental note to see find out why Charlie was acting anti-social, Patrick rolled over in bed and pulled a pillow over his face, attempting to block out the rest of the world; at least for a few more hours.

Then the phone rang and Patrick jumped, knocking him flat on his ass on the floor, the bed abandoned. "All right, all right. Keep your panties on." He plucked the phone from its stage thingy and answered tiredly "Yeah."

"Is this Patrick?" A woman's voice said softly, as if the speakers of the phone might break if she spoke too loud.

"Yes, t'is." he slurred.

"This is Charlie's sister. He's sick and in the hospital."

Patrick sobered at the declaration and sat up a little straighter. "Since when?" He spoke carefully.

"As of yesterday he was admitted. He's...probably been sick for...a while."

"What is he sick with? Is he okay? What do you mean 'for a while'?"

"He's...well, mentally...sick. He's not responding to anyone. At all." Her voice broke near the end.

"Have you told any of our other friends?"

"Only you."

"Are visitors permitted?"

"They will be soon. Right now he's too... unstable."

"Which hospital?"

"Saint Margaret's."

"Expect visitors." Patrick spoke in monotone. Then he hung up.

He threw all the clothes he could find in his bag, booked a plane ticket for the next plane and made a phone call. This one to his sister.

* * *

Patrick had been home for two weeks now.

Sam and the Wallflowers for two days.

When Sam, Mary Elizabeth, Peter, Alice, Bob, Peter and Craig had first showed up at Patrick and Sam's home they hadn't known anything about Charlie other than the fact that something had happened and it was extremely important that they come see Patrick in person.

Since talking with Charlie's sister on the phone, Patrick had visited Charlie four times. During three visits he had not responded at all and on the fourth he had seemed too broken to really make any sense.

At first Patrick hadn't understood what was bothering Charlie so horribly. Then Charlie's brother had taken him aside and explained.

Charlie had been molested often as a child by his aunt Helen. He had loved his aunt deeply and after her death had subconsciously suppressed his memories of the molestations.

Despite not being able to recollect these events, he subconsciously closed in on himself and became ill. After Michael had killed himself, Charlie had gone off the edge and was hospitalized for the second time since his aunt's death.

Charlie still loves his aunt deeply and can't find it in himself to blame her, often voicing his thoughts of how if she maybe had a better life then she wouldn't of done something like that.

Needless to say, Patrick was shocked.

Charlie who was so understanding, who was so selfless, kind-hearted and naive, was secretly carrying a burden bigger than a concrete truck.

Looking back on it, this revelation made so much sense: how he had problems with being touched by people he loves, namely Sam, how he always over thinks everything and doesn't know how to act around friends.

He was damaged and didn't even know it.

* * *

When Sam and the rest of his friends showed up they at first thought Charlie was physically ill.

"So how is he doing, Patrick? How long is he on bed rest for? What is he sick with?" Sam asked worriedly.

Patrick looked up at her. "It won't be as easy for him to heal. It's not something that can be bandaged. At least not literally."

"Huh?"

Patrick swallowed and opened his mouth to speak but then stopped before he made a second attempt. "Charlie suffers intense depression and other mental disorders as a result of molestation and suppressed memories from a young age." Patrick forced out all at once.

Sam gasped, her eyes tearing up.

It was Mary Elizabeth spoke up, "Who..?"

"Remember his aunt that he cares deeply for? The one that died?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

Patrick just nodded.

At first, the girls didn't understand.

Then Sam realized what he meant. "You don't mean...?"

Patrick didn't reply.

Sam and Mary Elizabeth and Alice broke into tears.

While Alice didn't know Charlie that well but couldn't help feel sad about the situation regardless. Charlie had always been so nice to her.

Peter and Craig stood up. Peter paced the floor. Bob sat and remained silent, eyes downcast.

Sam finally spoke, "And all this time..! I thought he was just shy and awkward when he didn't kiss me. I... I believed he was just different, naturally that way."

Mary Elizabeth stared at Patrick, "Why do the worst things always happen to the best people?" Even though Charlie had hurt her, she still felt for him. No one deserved a situation like that.

Peter stopped pacing and shut his eyes, "So what do we do?"

The room fell silent. Not a word was uttered yet the silence seemed to convey an entire conversation.

Eventually, Patrick spoke, "We be there for him. Because he would be there for each and every one of us."

* * *

A/N- A random one-shot that I came up with. After I first read the book, I went looking for fanfictions pertaining to the reactions of the rest of Charlie's friends, but was unable to find any. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places, but I figured that there should be at least one.


End file.
